Another Chance
by Margo352
Summary: Arnold sits in bed wishing that he could go back and make Lila like him like him again. Later he wakes up to a mysterious girl who claims to be the star he wished on, and is here to grant his wish! However before he gets what he wants, he has to take a journey through Helga's life and learn more about her because if he accepts the wish, Helga's life will change drastically.
1. Chapter 1

Arnold laid in he's bed thinking back to earlier that day "Oh, I'm every so sorry Arnold but as I've told you time and time again…I don't like you like you. I just like you."

Arnold frowned. If only Lily still liked him liked him. 'I wish… I wish that…I wish that I could go back and make it so that Lila still liked me liked me.' Arnold thought to himself before he fell into the seas of sleep.

"Arnold…Arnold…HEY ARNOLD!" Arnold shot strait up in bed wide awake. He looked around. And he stared in shock at what was glaring at him.

Helga G. Pataki was wearing a beautiful white gown. It was simple, a long sleeve, sleek white ankle long dress with star designs at the bottom. She had her hair down and it was held out of her face by a small sparkly beret.

"H-H-Helga?" The girl snorted. "Not exactly Arnold but close…" she pointed down and Arnold almost died when he saw Helga's feet we not touching the ground. "Are you dead?" Helga tried to hide her smile but she failed to contain it. A real smile covered Helga's face. Making Arnold feel a little happier.

"No. I'm the star you wished on, however I am taking the form of Helga because… because once I grant your wish, Helga's life will be the one that will change the most." "Wait…What?"

The girl sighed and sat at the edge of his bed. "Last night you wished that you could go back and make it so Lila would still like you like you right?" "Yeah…" "Well when you wished that you happened to wish on a shooting star. I'm here to grant you your wish." "Really?" "Yes. However…"

Arnold frowned. There was a catch. "Before I grant you your wish, I'm gonging to take you on a journey through Helga's life because once I grant your wish- should you accept it- Helga's life will change drastically." Arnold raised his eyebrow "how would Helga's life change?" "That's what I'm going to show you. Now come on! We have a lot of things to do!" Helga- or star girl grabbed his hand yanking him out of his bed.

"Hey! Wait!" "What?" "Well, what's your name? I can't call you Helga." The girl thought. "Just call me Cecile." And with that. She opened the window, and taking his hand speed off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

The first place Cecile took him was to PS 119- the town's high school.

"What are we doing-" "Shut up!" she hissed. Arnold quickly shut his trap. Cecile smirked, but soon faded. A look of sadness crossed her face. "Look…" She pointed around a corner in the school and Arnold was confronted with quite a sight.

It was HIM! As a teenager! With …LILA!

"Hey Sweetie. Guess who?" teen Arnold had his hands over Lila's eyes. She giggled. "Oh Arnold!" turning around, planting a kiss on his lips. 9 year old Arnold smiled. He liked this future.

"YO! EITHER GET A ROOM! OR MOVE OUT OF THE WAY SUGAR BAIT!" Arnold jumped at the voice of the girl. She was wearing a long sleeved leather jacket, white tee with a lot of necklaces and jeans. Her hair was up in two messy buns. She looked like a biker.

Teen Arnold remained unfazed "Hello Helga." He said monotone

"Arnold." replied Helga barely looking at him opening her locker

"Hello Helga! It's just ever so nice to see you!" exclaimed Lila.

"…"

"Helga?"

"Yeah, yeah, life's just a ray of sunshine. Look I've got to get to class. See you later sugar baby." Helga spat as she slammed her locker. She gave teen Arnold a hard shove with her shoulder as she passed him.

Lila sighed. "I just don't understand Arnold. Helga just seems to hate me. What have I ever done to her? I've always tried to be nice to her, but-"

"I know babe, I know…"

"Arnold! What did I ask you about calling me that!?"

"Sorry Lila."

"That's Ok, I'll see you at lunch, got to get to class." This time, though 9 year old Arnold didn't know it, Lila didn't kiss him goodbye like she always does.

Arnold stands alone in the hallway with his hand on his forehead. Shaking his head. "She really hates it when I call her that." Teen Arnold gave one last look around the school before walking to class.

Cecile looks at Arnold hopefully did he understand now?

"Ok…So….um…."replied Arnold awkwardly

"Did you learn anything?"

"Um…Helga's still a bully, Lila's still sweet and I'm still…me?" he replied with a shrug.

Cecile sighed. This was going to be a long, long, LONG night. But it would be worth it in the end. She was sure of it."Come on. We've got a LOT of palaces to be." She said dragging Arnold back into the darkness of night.


	3. Chapter 3

###chapter3###

"Ok…I'm going to take you back to the past. Far into the past…Here we are! Take a look."

Arnold looked around. He was in Helga's room. "Beep! Beep! Beep!" the alarm went off and a small hand went out to turn it off. She popped out of the covers. Arnold's eyes grew wide.

"OH BOY! OH BOY! I'M GOING TO PRE-SCHOOL TODAY!" shirked the little girl

"OLGA! KEEP IT DOWN! WE"RE TRYING TO LISTEN TO YOUR SISTER!"

"oops! SORRY DADDY! Oh boy, oh boy!" little Helga rushed to her closet pulling out a small purple jumper. "should I were this?" she pulled out a blue fairy dress "Or maybe this? OH! OH! I KNOW!"

Helga dove in her closet coming out in her infamous pink dress "Now. Where's that ribbon? OH! Here it is!" sloppily and clumsily the small girl began tying it into her hair. She gave a big toothy smile in the mirror at her reflection before heading downstairs.

Downstairs the sound of classical music field the house. Helga's smile faded. "Oh no…" slowly pulling a stool to a cupboard Helga pulled her lunch out of the fridge, already made that night. Before toddling into the trophy room

"That was wonderful Honey!" praised Mariam looking adoringly at Olga

"You're a stinking Genius!" exclaimed Bob

"Daddy! Who's goanna take me to Pre-school?"

"Heh? Oh, yeah, sure" was all he said distractedly before giving his attention back to Olga "Come on play another one Olga"

"I know! How about Minuerate waltz by Miosur Patrick Supell?" she asked dearly

"Oh, I love that one!" sowned Merriam

"Yeah, you should here her play Befon Merriam!"

Olga began to play driven by her parent's encouragement.

"Can you believe our Olga? Concert pianist at fifteen? And class Victorian ?"

"Look! She's won every spelling be in the whole darn city! Makes me proud to be a Pataki."

"Hey!" shouted Helga, annoyed she was being ignored "Who's taking me to Pre-school!?"

"Yeah…in a minute Olga."

"No! I'm Helga dad! Helga!"

"Whatever…go play outside will you?"

Helga finally gave up and left the room the words of praise and music continued even in the hallway. "I'm going to Pre-school now!" called the young toddler.

She got no response. Trying again, she shouted "I'm GOING TO PRE- SCHOOL!" and with that, Little Helga Pataki started the long walk to pre-school.

Arnold watched horrified as the sky started to rain, she got splashed by a car getting covered in mud and had her lunch stole by a dog. He wanted to reach out and hold this little girl, sure that HE would have broken down and cried in this position.

But then, when all hope seemed lost, it happened. The rain stopped pouring on her head. She looked up and saw an umbrella. "Hey… that's my umbrella!" exclaimed Arnold. And so it was. Little Arnold dressed in a new yellow rain coat and boats was helping this little girl out.

"Nice Bow."

"Huh?"

"Nice bow. I like it, 'cause it's pink like your pants!"

Arnold walked in but little Helga stayed outside for a minute with a goofy smile on her face. "Wait... 'Thought Arnold "I know that look…OH MAN! NO WAY! NO, NO! NOOOOO!"

Transfixed Arnold watched as Helga watch him with a love sick gaze. This was just weird. And then it happened. Harold stole her snack, and laughed at her. She started getting try eyed when little Arnold offered her his. Sighing contently to herself, when, sadly, it happened.

Laughter.

Looking over at Harold he mocked her batting his eyelashes and sighing like her before laughing some more, this time along with the whole class.

Helga looked over at Arnold, back at Harold then to the gram crackers, when she cringed balled up her fists and made a choice.

Push! "Quit laughing geek-bit! Or you'll have to answer to…to Old Betsey and the….the five avengers!"

"Old who and five what?"

"My fists stupid! That's their names!"

"Wai-way-Your fist have name? Oh…You're confusing me!"

Helga jumped on top of him

"Ophf!"

"I'M THE BOSS AROUND HERE GOT IT?" she demanded the other kids. They all nodded terrified.

And then, everything froze. Cecile sat down on one of the tables and motioned Arnold to sit down beside her. Arnold applied and for a while they just sat there. Little Phoebe was sitting on the rug holding one block, starring at Helga. Harold was starting to stand up, Helga was glaring with her eyes and her mouth was wide open.

"So… that's how…" he trailed off

"How the pink terror of P.S 118 was born. Yeah." Replied Cecile sadly they grew silent again.

"Does she…you know… still like me?" Cecile only shrugged "Ugg…this is just too weird." Muttered Arnold staring up at the ceiling. "well" Cecile began she looked like she was going to say something more on the subject, but changed her mind at the last minute "Do you want to see more, or do you want to go home?"

"Can't I just go home and get my wish?"

"Nope, you got to see before you can make –believe."

"Isn't it you gotta believe before you can see?"

"Ahh- whatever, anyway we go home no deal and you forget all of this ever happened. But…Arnold…do you still want that wish of yours?"

"I don't know."

"Well what's it goanna be?"

Arnold sighed, stood up and stuck out his hand "Let's go see some more memories."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next memory Cecile took Arnold to was not Helga's this time, but his own. Lila and Arnold were on the boarding house roof playing Ping-Pong.

Lila was laughing and having the best of fun, but other Arnold looked like he was doing a bothersome chore.

"Arnold I wanted to show you this. When Lila thought she liked you liked you, you didn't like it . You only liked her. Arnold, look. I'm not trying to tell you that you shouldn't get your wish and like Helga instead…I'm trying to help you see more of the big picture. Lila is a wonderful girl, But honestly I think you only like-like her because you feel guilty about how you made her feel when you told her you didn't like-like her. But take Stinky, or Sid they liked-liked Lila the instant they met her and he may be holding back because you like her."

A fog arose and Cecile faded away from Arnold. Memories flashed in front of his eyes, and his body was being whipped through moments of time faster than he could register them all.

"I could give them up, give Arnold what he wants, but then I wouldn't have anything. And these snow boots are really boss!"

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you Helga, I guess you were just trying to be my friend.' 'Yeah, well …figured it was the right thing to do…I mean she was taking advantage of you and..Uh…I couldn't just….'"

"Hey Football Head!"

"Be still my beating heart…"

"Li-LA"

"I need to fall OUT of love"

"Corn-stalk hair…"

"Pools of green like Jelly-beans that I could bathe in"

"What have I done?"

"Helga I think I love you!' 'get off you dork!'"

"Arnold…Arnold….

HEY ARNOLD!"

.

.

.

The next thing he knew, Arnold found himself sitting next to Lila on the bus. Somehow he knew that this was the moment he told her he didn't like-like her, he only liked her.

And he could change that.

He looked around and saw Cecile sitting on the railing of Helga's seat. Cecile smiled and raised a finger to her lips "Chose wisely" she mouthed. Helga, not seeing Cecile, only glared.

Arnold turned bake to Lila, almost ready to say "I really like you to!" Almost. When suddenly he stopped and whipped around. There was something about the way Cecile looked when she was next to Helga.

Cecile's smile grew and she began to change. Her hair fell in front of her face, her dress changed and although it was still white, the design changed into a skirt and a striped long-sleeved shirt. And on her foot was one red high heal shoe.

And the more he looked, the more he saw. The similarities hit him like a brick.

Cecile was THAT Cecile.

She was Cecile.

HELGA was Cecile.

All those things he had seen, everything she had said, it was all her. Looking out for him…loving him…it was all her. Helga G. Pataki.

"Arnold? Arnold is something wrong?" Asked Lila concerned. Arnold turned to her. "my goodness Arnold! You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I think I just did."

"Oh!"

"Look, never mind. Lila, there's something I wanted to tell you…"

"Yes Arnold?"

"I-I…" he looked over at Cecile.

"Arnold Are you feeling Alright?" Asked Lila getting a little uncertain and worried.

A decision. A second chance to change to change his life, his future, the truth. But did he really like her? Or was it just guilt that caused him to think he liked her? And then there was Helga. Helga the bully. The girl forced to hide because of judgment of her peers. The girl force to be mean in order to hide love.

But this was HIS decision. What did it matter if Helga liked him? Did she even? She could have grown out of that crush…And he liked Lila…Or did he? Stinky. Helga. Lila. Love. Hate. Truth. Lies. to live or not to live. To change or stay the same.

Another chance.

He had seen the past, he had seen the future, he knew the present. Now he had a choice. Was he going to use the knowledge? Or was he going to through it to the curb.

Suddenly Lila's words echoed through his head. "And if I'm really honest with myself, I only liked you because I thought you like me to."

"And I only liked you, because I was guilty…"muttered Arnold coming to his conclusion.

"I'm sorry?" Asked Lila confused

"Lila, I need to tell you something." started Arnold.

"Why gosh , what ever could it be?"

"Look, Lila I'm not the one who wrote that on the wall. I don't like you like that. You're a really good friend of mine and I don't want that to change. I know that if you really think about it, you don't like me like that either. You just thought you liked me because you thought I like you. I like you but I don't like you like you. but, can we still be friends?

"But I read the righting on the wall, I thought that you…

"Look I don't know who wrote those words on the wall or why, but it wasn't me.

"Oh

"I'm really really sorry, I guess it was just an accident…Or a sick joke, but I'm sorry."

"I see." With that Lila got up to leave but was stopped with Arnold's voice

"Can we still be friends?"

"I-I suppose…Give me a bit of time to think. After all…this is a lot to take in."

"I understand. Again, I apologize Lila." Lila nodded and got off the bus sadly. Behind him, Arnold could have sworn he heard a sigh of relief.


End file.
